Page 20 of Beloved
I rubbed my hands on my jeans, finally smiling when I noticed Golden Angel was crawling toward him. She finally rested her head on his leg. I could tell even from where I was standing the mystery man was thirsty by his parched lips. As soon as Idropped to the dirt floor, I ripped at the zipper, pulling out the bottles of water.
He didn’t grab them from my hand, instead allowing me to offer one. When he was still hesitant, I laughed. “Go ahead.” I thought about what I’d learned in Russian and while I struggled, I tried to put together a sentence he might understand. “Davay. Eto vsego lish’ ostraya voda. Ne krysinyye ekskrementy.” I huffed when I managed to find the words, hoping he understood.
His gorgeous eyes were now completely hooded, providing an even sexier look that finally turned into one of amusement. But at least he accepted the water. He cracked the bottle, gulping almost half before I could stop him.
“No. No. Not so fast.” Now I was talking in three different languages. I was confusing myself.
At least he seemed to understand, using his arm to wipe his mouth. “Hot water? Rat shit?”
Oh, my God. I’d offered him hot water and told him it was rat shit instead of poison. So I had a lot to learn. I laughed nervously, uncertain what to say.
While my fur baby was completely comfortable, I was an absolute nervous wreck. Then I remembered the food. “Oh, I have… more.” I fumbled in the bag, pulling out the food wrapped in a napkin. When he remained hesitant, I unwrapped the linen, showing him the bread and three kinds of cheese. “I’m sorry it’s not more.”
He was still hesitant, taking another gulp of water.
“Merda.” I blew hair from my face as I took a small hunk of bread, shoving it into my mouth to prove I wasn’t trying to poison him.
He visibly relaxed seconds later, digging into the food. It wasn’t polite, but I couldn’t help but watch the way his voluptuous mouth moved. Fuck, the man was beautiful.
My mother would caution that I needed my mouth washed out with soap, but I was no longer a little girl. Now I was a woman who enjoyed looking at the sexy modeling pictures of men in my glossy magazines and on social media pages.
He obviously noticed I was studying him, offering a slight smile. As soon as he did, my stomach clenched. There was no caution to the way he was looking at me, his expression entirely dark. He could melt glaciers with that smile. He could cause a riot.
Sedona would sell her soul.
I licked my lips, trying to maintain some sense of composure. He continued munching on the food while I contemplated if I should ask him anything, and if so, what. When Golden suddenly lurched forward, I thought for certain the spell he’d put over her had been broken and she’d lunged for him.
Instead, what happened nearly broke my heart into a thousand little pieces. He was giving the last of his food to my dog. My baby girl. Nothing in the entire world could have shocked me any more than that moment.
Huddled on the cold floor while he stroked her fur, I pulled my knees to my chest, rocking back and forth. I rested my head on my arms, thankful some tension had eased. I’d been right. I could see marks from being beaten and while he was extremelymuscular, I sensed he’d been kept inside this hellhole for at least a few days.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He turned his attention toward me, studying me in the same I’d been doing with him. I easily sensed he wasn’t interested in us being friends. I couldn’t blame him. He’d offered me kindness before and had been beaten because of it.
I was so angry, livid, and at that moment, I hated my father more than I’d ever experienced before. He was a horrible man, someone I didn’t even know.
“I’m Rafaela.” I don’t know why I bothered. All he did was continue to stare at me. For all I knew, the man could be a savage, but I honestly didn’t think so.
While there was dirt under his fingernails, they were perfectly shaped while not being polished like so many of the pretty boys were close to my age. Plus, he was currently wiping his mouth with the napkin, now folding it and placing it into my pack. Would a savage do that?
There was also a tan line on his arm from where he’d been wearing a watch. They’d stolen it from him. I was positive. That pissed me off even more.
“Spasibo, malen’kiy tselitel’.”
I was overjoyed I knew the words he’d spoken. Thank you… little healer. He’d called me a little healer. “You’re welcome.” Nervous energy kept my body rocking. While my dog was enjoying being fawned over, I pulled the flashlight into my hand, studying how he was being kept. There was nothing. No blanket. No pillow. Nofood. No water. A bucket in the corner obviously for him to use for the bathroom.
My God. What was my father doing?
I’d learned over the years to hide my emotions, especially sadness. In my father’s world, tears were a weakness and I already had the deck stacked against me since every man in the wretched organization believed women were nothing but objects.
Possessions.
Yet, as I blinked, I was unable to stop the tears from falling.
Up to this point, other than seeing his anger at Marco and his softening with Golden, I had no other sense about him or his thoughts. Yet when his blue eyes opened wide at first followed by a low and intense growl, I was thrown by the change in his demeanor.
As he leaned forward, he caught me off guard, crooking a single finger and brushing his knuckle through several tears. With his finger glistening, he pulled it into his mouth. For a girl who only knew romance and passion through the books she was allowed to read, I knew the moment would forever remain as one of the most intimate of my life.
